PSP2 to be unveiled Jan. 27 - Reports

Next week, Nintendo will hold dual events in Amsterdam and New York to show off its upcoming 3DS handheld. The game giant won't have the spotlight long to itself, though, if two reports out of the UK prove accurate.

Citing unnamed sources, enthusiast site VG247 and trade site MCV are saying that Sony will use a January 27 press event in Tokyo to officially announce the PSP2. The former's sources say the unveiling will be held at a "business overview and strategy meeting" with only a few members of the Japanese press in attendance.

[UPDATE] A US Sony representative has confirmed to GameSpot that Sony will indeed be having a press event in Tokyo on January 27. "We'll be sharing our business overview and strategy, but there's nothing else we can comment on as far as topics," the rep said.

Though Sony has not officially confirmed the PSP2's existence, the device has been the subject of rumors for over a year. Development kits for the handheld have been spotted in the wild, and Electronic Arts' head of European development admitted that his company has had contact with PSP2 SDKs.

The most convincing evidence came via a murky photo leak last November (pictured), which showed a PSP Go-like sliding design with dual thumbsticks. The device is also said to have a touch-sensitive pad on its rear. Last month, Sony Computer Entertainment president Kaz Hirai dropped hints about dual button/touch-screen controls when asked about the PSP2.